Amusement device



July 1 1924. .1,499,672 V E; A. LEZERT AMUSEMENT DEVICE;I

Filed Jul l 5 1922 2 Sheng-Sheet 1 Patented July 1, 1924.

D sTA'r i ingaan;

/ASTUS A. LEZERT, F CINCINNATI, OHIO. v

AIVLUSEIVIENT DEVICE.

Application med Ju1y15, 1922. serial No. 575,216.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ERAsTUs A. LEZERT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resi-dent of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. 1n Amusement Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings, forming a part of this specification.'

My invention relates to amusement devices, and has particular reference to the provision of an amusement device suitable for use in public parks.` Y

The principal object of the present 1 nvention is to provide an amusement device comprising a carriagefor passengers adapted to ride upon a platform, and means for communicating a complexity of movements Vof greater or less rapidity thereto.

ther objects of this invention will appear from the following -detailed description thereof.

In the drawings `Figure 1 is a plan view of the platform forming a part of this invention, part thereof being broken Aaway to show the actuating mechanism;

Figure 2 is a radial section of the platform;

Figure 3 is a perspective of one of the carriages adapted to move upon the platform;

Figure 4 is in elevation of the carriage; Figure 5 is a detail elevation of the steering mechanism ofthe carriage.

The platform of my new amusement device comprises a plurality of annular sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 concentrically mounted around the center post 6. Mounted underneath the platform sections is a number of shafts 7 carrying flanged wheels 8, the wheels of each shaft being disposed so that two are located under each ofthe annular platform sections, one under the inner and the other under the outer portion thereof. Secured to the underside ofeach of the platform sections are two tracking rails 9, constructed 'preferably of channel iron. The tracking rails are annular and conform to the curve of the platform sections; said rails are adapted to ride upon the wheels 8, carrying the platform sections and permitting the same to. rotate aroundfthe center post 6.k Secured on the underside of each of the platform sections is an annular rack 10 by meansV of which the respective table sections may be driven by mechanism next to be described. 1 Mounted in suitable bearings underneath'` the platform is a drive shaft 11, to which power may be transmitted Vfrom any suitable source by means of a pulley 12 or other suitable mechanism. Keyed on the shaft 11 aregears 13, 14 and 15-adapted to meshrespectively with lthe racks 10 under platform sections 1, 'and 5; alsoy keyed on to said shaft is a gear 16, saidgear being adapted to intermesh with a gear lkeyed on a countershaft 18, saidV countershaft-being mounted in bearings underthe platform. Keyed on countershaft 18 are gears 19 and 20, said gears being adapted to vmesh respectively with the racks 10 under platform sections 2 and 4. When the shaft 11 is driven by means of the pulley 12,- it will thus be seen that the platform sections 1, 3 and 5 are driven in a uniform direction by the gears on said shaft, for instance in the direction shown by arrows in Figure 1; the gear 16 on shaft 11 transmits power to the countershaft 18, which drives, thru gears 19 and 20, the platform sections 2 and 4 in the reverse direction, as shown also by arrows in Figure 1. i

As clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings platform sect-ion 5 inclines upwardly,

lso as to form a batter to prevent a carriage on the platform from leavingthe same.

Adapted to ride on the platform constructed as above described and to be driven by thev movements of the sections thereof, is a carriage consisting .of a body 21, which is preferably round in shape as shown in Figure 3. The carriagei21 is provided with av seat 22 for passengers. The carriage rides on pivotally mounted casters 23 of any suitable andv well known construction, four ofi. such casters preferably being .provided vto support the carriage. Rotatably mounted in the bottom 2a of the carriage is a steering column 25 having a steering wheel 26 on its upper end in convenient location for operation by a passenger in the carriage. rlfhe lower end of the steering column is bifurcated and carries a wheel 27, the direction of which may be changed at will byr rotating the steering wheel 26, thus permitting the passenger to a certain degree to control the movements ofthe carriage.v The outer circumference of the carriage 21 is provided with spring bumpers 28 to reduce impact when the carriage comes into collision with other carriages on the platform.

ln operation a number ofv carriages 2l are provided on a platform constructed of a plurality of annu-lar sections as described, the sections being` driven in alternate directions as above set forth. The carriages are of such dimension with respect to the width of the platform sections, and the caster wheels on said' carriages are so disposed, that each carriage may be supported'on a single platform sectiomgbut the body will at` all times overlap more than onesuch section. The carriage thus may be carried by a single section thus traveling about the axis of the platform. When, however, two or more carriages attempt to pass onA adjacent sections they are necessarily brought into collision'by reason of the alternate rotary movements of the sections and there is thus communicated to the carriages a complexity of movements. rlhese movement of the carriage may be to a certain extent controlled by means ofI the steering wheel 26Y operated by a passenger in the carriage, but

such control is not adapted or intended to relieve the uncertainty of the carriage movements, and the steering mechanism is provided largely for the psychological effect in contributing to the passengers sense of amusement derived from the device. Frequently, of course, during the movements of the carriages upon the platform two or more carriages are brought into collision; all detrimental effects of such event are removed by'fmeans of the bumpers 28, and such Collision contributes further to the amusement and pleasure of the experience. A

It will thus be seen that in the construction described and shown in the drawings, I have provided an amusement device of simple and safe construction, and well adapted to communicate to a passenger carriage a complexity ofY uncertain and more or less: rapid movements adapted to produce an effectV exhilarating and pleasing to the person or persons occupying the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byy LettersfPatent is r- 1. In anam-u-sement device, a platform,

said platform comprising a plurality of contiguous annular concentric sections, means whereby the alternate sections may be rotatedin opposite directions, and a carriage adapted to ride on said platform, said carriage comprising a body and pivotally mountedwheels arranged to support the same.

2. In an amusement device, a platform, said platform .comprising a plurality of contiguous annular concentric sections, a plurality of' shafts radially mounted under said platform, wheels mounted on said shafts, annular tracking rails on the underside of said platform sections and adapted to ride on said wheels to support the platform sections,V means whereby the alternate sections may be rotated in oppositev directions, and a carriage adapted to ride on said platform, said carriage comprising a body and pivotally mounted wheels arranged to support the same.

3. In an, amusement device, a platform, said platform comprising a plurality of contiguous Vannular concentric sections, means whereby the alternate sections may be rotated in opposite directions, andV a plurality of carriages adapted to ride on said platform, each of said carriages comprising a body, pivotally mountedl wheels arranged to support said body, and' spring bumpers on said body. Y

4. In an amusement device, a platform, said platforms comprising a plurality of annular concentric sections, means whereby the alternate sections may be rotated in opposite directions, and a plurality of carriages adapted to ride on said platform, each of said carriages comprising a body, pivotally mounted wheels arranged to support said body, and spring bumpers on said body, the wheels of each carriage being so disposed as to permit the carriage to ride on a single platform section, and the body being of such dimensions as to overlap at all times more than one section.

5. In an amusement device, a platform, said platform comprising a plurality of contiguous annular concentric sections, means whereby the alternate sections may be rotated in opposite directions, and a carriage adapted to ride on said platform, said carriage comprising a body andV pivotally mounted wheels arranged to support the same, the ou-ter platform section sloping upwardly to form a batter to prevent the carriage leaving the platform.

6. In an amusement device, a platform, said platform comprisingV a plurality of contiguous annular concentric sections, meansA whereby thealternate sections may be rotated in opposite directions, and a carriageadapted to ride on said platform, said carriage comprising a body and pivotally mounted wheels arranged to support the same, and steering mechanism mounted in rality of carriages adapted to ride on said said carriage. platform, each of said carriages comprising 7. In an amusement device, a platform, a body, pivotally mounted Wheels arranged 10 said platform comprising a plurality of t0 support said body, spring bumpers on 5 contiguous annular concentric sections, said body, and steering mechanism mountmeans whereby the alternate sections may ed in said carriage. be rotated in opposite directions, and a plu- ERASTUS A. LEZERT. 

